


Fall Back in Love Eventually

by arizonasnow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, F/M, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Past Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Harry Potter, Pureblood Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Bashing, Slytherin Harry Potter, Slytherin Hermione Granger, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 01:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16630364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arizonasnow/pseuds/arizonasnow
Summary: Hermione, Harry, Pansy, and Draco grew up together. All four were the crown jewels of Pureblood Culture, constantly in the spotlight. They had little crushes on each other as children, but what happens when they begin falling in love?





	1. Malfoys Aren't "Late" (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Prologue! This is just a look into life before Hogwarts and a bit of explaining to make the rest of the story make more sense.

Narcissa Malfoy was practically radiating energy. Not a lively glow of happiness, but an oozing toxicity. Where on earth was her son? Or her husband for that matter? Merlin forbid either of them were outside. Her heels clicked against the freshly-polished floors of Malfoy Manor as she walked towards the window, trying to spot one of the two men she was looking for. They were meeting at the Parkinson Family's summer home in Cheshire in only a few minutes, and she had to get them together in order to go. Merlin forbid they were late... Malfoys were  _never_ late. It was a lovely home, much larger than the farmhouses on the land around them, but tiny in comparison to their manor. Nothing screams "pureblood" like a giant manor full of intimidating halls and easily-annoyed portraits.

It was one of many meetings that four families had. The Potters, Parkinsons, Grangers, and Malfoys were all closely-knit family friends. Of course, it didn't start that way. Although they were all part of the same pureblood world, at school, most of them hated each other. Rivalries turned to friendships and romances though, and they lasted well beyond their years within the castle walls of Hogwarts. 

Narcissa and Lucius were first to tie the knot. Shortly after graduating, it was no surprise when these two had a big wedding, inviting most of the community and throwing a lavish ceremony. The two of them had been besotted with each other for years, but not at first. In fact, Narcissa hated Lucius while he had a crush on her. So, she played hard to get for three years before she saw him flirting with Primrose Parkinson, or at the time she was Primrose Everhart, was known for being the school's bad girl. She hated her for stealing Lucius away, and Primrose found herself at the receiving end of several hexes, courtesy of Narcissa. Eventually, everything became sorted out, otherwise Primrose probably wouldn't be alive to tell the hilarious story of how she almost got in between one of the best power couples in the wizarding world. Narcissa and Lucius were a force to be reckoned with, especially when it came to business. Malfoy Industries was forever changed when she came into the picture.

Only a month after their wedding, Narcissa's pregnancy was announced. Everyone knew it was going to be a boy, nearly identical to Lucius, but Draco came out with softer features and a contagious smile. If she thought she'd never love someone more than her husband, Narcissa was quickly corrected by the arrival of her son. He became his parents' focus. The community fell in love with the pale boy with the white-blonde hair who always had a shimmer in his silver eyes.

Draco was the oldest of the second generation, and it was extremely clear from the beginning that he was the ringleader. Great at giving orders and terrible at taking them, Draco executed all sorts of pranks with his friends throughout the years on anyone who was unfortunate enough to be seen first. His partner in crime was mostly Harry, the Potters' son.

Narcissa met Lily Evans in Potions class first year and were inseparable ever since. When she and James Potter became a couple, the two of them talked about how they wanted their children to be best friends. Shortly after Draco was born, Harry Potter entered the world with the picture-perfect blend of his parents' features. Lily and James were married shortly before his birth, right in time to welcome their son. They had plans to have more children, but Harry ended up being such a handful that they never got around to it. He was always their number one focus. 

Harry came to Malfoy Manor frequently and Draco spent a lot of time at the Potters' house, which was much more modest compared to most other pureblood families' homes, so the two boys wouldn't be alone. They played together since they were in nappies, throwing around toys and babbling gibberish to each other that only they seemed to be able to understand.

One day, Narcissa ran into Jean Granger in the middle of Flourish and Blotts' while searching for the same book. The two of them had gone to Hogwarts in the same year but were never really friends. They got into a discussion about the book they were both reading, which blossomed into a friendship. They met every week at Malfoy Manor to talk about each chapter, sort of a book club, but only between the two of them. They had more in common than they'd originally thought, and one day, Jean began bringing her daughter, Hermione. 

Hermione was the youngest of the group and by far, the smartest. Draco was nearly a full year older than her, and when she started showing up, he always seemed to be fascinated by her. After a while, Draco noticed this curly-haired girl holding her mother's hand and walking into the parlor week after week. He'd crack the door open and peek through, staring at her while she absentmindedly looked out the window. 

Draco and Hermione didn't meet for a while. Not officially, at least. She would look over to the door and see him watching her from time to time, or sometimes Harry would be over and she saw the two boys playing in the yard or heard them running through the halls followed by a house elf scolding them. But when those two met, it was clear from the beginning that there would be something. Jean and Narcissa frequently joked around about the two of them ending up together, and started a bet that they'd get married.

Draco, Hermione, and Harry became quite the trio. Draco was the charming, sarcastic one. He was the leader of the group, always coming up with some kind of mischief. Harry was the playful one, enhancing Draco's wild plans and always joining in. The two of them were more like brothers than friends, balancing each other out and basically finishing each others' sentences. Then there was Hermione. Stubborn, arrogant Hermione with her brilliant brain. While she joined in on the fun from time to time, she'd frequently tell the boys how stupid their plans were and say that they were digging their own graves. Did they listen? Never. Not once. After a while, she gave up and just went along with the two of them.

When Draco and Harry were around seven and Hermione was six, the Parkinsons came into play. Lucius and Narcissa were about to leave after going on a romantic dinner date, having dropped Draco off at the Grangers' house to sleep over with Hermione and Harry, when William Parkinson approached Lucius. They'd been quite close during their years at Hogwarts, both playing on the Slytherin Quidditch Team. They brought their house quite a few victories during their time. After chatting for a while and Narcissa becoming impatient, William offered to meet up with Lucius another day and he agreed.

That's when Pansy came into the picture. Running, quite literally into the group. Three children were playing in the gardens at Malfoy Manor when a fourth one joined one day. No one seemed to question why, which was probably for the better knowing Pansy. At first she only talked to Hermione and the two developed a sister-like relationship with each other, rarely ever leaving one another's sides. This bond was strong and no one dared to test it through the years.

Seeing their kids together brought the parents even closer. They began meeting up at each others' homes, discussing any kind of news in the community. It became a tradition for everyone to meet up, usually at the Parkinson's, especially during the summer. Everyone knew the schedule and exactly when to go... so where in Merlin's name were Draco and Lucius?

Narcissa was growing more and more anxious before she spotted her ten year old son outside on a broom with his father riding beside him, going way too high for a ten year old. Perhaps too high for even a thirteen year old. She nearly had an aneurism right there if it wasn't for the fact that she had this meeting to calm her down. 

She speed walked down the grand staircase as quickly as she could before she through the doors to the veranda out, crossing her arms. _**"LUCIUS ABRAXAS MALFOY, IF YOU AND YOUR SON DON'T GET DOWN HERE IMMEDIATELY, YOU'RE GOING TO SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF ONE OF MY FAMOUS HEXES!"**_

That got the job done, father helping son down and both of them sprinting inside as fast as they could where a fuming Narcissa was waiting for them. "Ridiculous... absolutely ridiculous!" She scolded, mostly aimed at Lucius. "You could've gotten hurt, both of you!"

Draco was the one who defended his father. "Well... er... it was my idea, mum." He spoke up sheepishly.

Lucius looked over, not willing to let his son take the blame. "But I was the one who made it happen..."

Narcissa sighed, rubbing her temples. "Just don't let it happen again. You're going to give me wrinkles from all this frowning..." She murmured. 

Lucius walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Darling, you know you'll always be beautiful to me." He responded, kissing the side of his wife's neck as a soft smile came upon her face. She still blushed even after ten years of marriage.

However, Draco wasn't blushing. He was actually grossed out, as most ten year olds would be. He was quickly walking towards the Floo Room and away from his parents' canoodling when his father called out after him. "You know you'll be like this too in the future, son!" 

He cringed, opening the doors as he looked back one last time to see a giggling Narcissa and a smiling Lucius holding hands and walking towards him.

 _Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be that bad._  Draco thought to himself as the older Malfoys walked into the room, hand in hand, and the three of them headed into the flames one at a time.

After a successful floo trip, the trio of Malfoys walked out of the Parkinson's Floo Room and made their way to the parlor, looking as regal as ever. Draco quickly bounded off to go play with Hermione, Harry, and Pansy, who were all upstairs in Pansy's extra room, full of books, toys, and an excessive amount of clothes. Pansy always said it was just her spare closet with room for a few other things. Dressing up Hermione was always her goal, but the other girl always refused, saying her clothing was practical. "More like boring!" Pansy would always respond. Time after time, it was the same. 

Jean chuckled softly from the parlor downstairs, looking at a slightly bewildered Narcissa, hidden under that regal mask she wore. "You're  _late_ , Mrs. Malfoy." She teased with a smirk, crossing her right leg over her left from the ankle, which was considered a polite seating position. Every pureblood knew this, but of all of them, the Grangers were probably some of the most casual.

Narcissa rolled her eyes while Lucius joined the other men in another room to talk about... quidditch... of course. "Jean, darling, I'm a Malfoy." The family matriarch insisted, sitting down and mimicking the way Jean was sitting. 

"You're still late." Lily said from her seat next to Jean, a teasing smirk on her face as well. 

"Oh please, I'm a Malfoy." Narcissa repeated. "Malfoy's _aren't_ late. You're all simply early." She huffed indignantly.


	2. Fourteen (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pansy Parkinson's fourteenth birthday party... what could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Playlist:  
> \- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper  
> \- Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding  
> \- Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover by Sophie B. Hawkins  
> \- I Think I'm in Love by Kat Dhalia  
> \- Beautiful Girls by Shawn Kingston

The Parkinson house was  _chaotic._ Pansy loved it. House elves were running around with big, baby pink and navy blue ribbons. Lights were being hung, decorations put up, everything was coming together. While Pansy absolutely lived for drama, this was another type of chaos that she liked. Organized chaos. She walked down the hallway wearing a simple outfit that she'd change out of soon, just something quite muggle that she'd seen Hermione wearing and asked to borrow. While Hermione was a pureblood, her entire family was intrigued and influenced a lot by muggles, going as far as to wear their fashion and try to figure out how their contraptions worked. Pansy never cared for it, except the fashion. She adored muggle fashion.

Looking around her, everything was falling into place. It was perfect. Practically the entire house was decorated in icy pink and royal navy shades, lights and silk ribbons and sashes hung everywhere. It looked magical, to put it lightly. Impressive would be an understatement. Of course, it was a Parkinson party. Everyone in the community knew that the Parkinsons were some of the best at throwing parties, second, of course, to the Malfoys. 

Of course, Narcissa was helping decorate for Pansy's birthday party. She was more like an aunt to her than anything and Draco was like a brother. The Malfoys and Parkinsons were powerful allies. There was a lot of speculation that Pansy and Draco had some kind of love story among them but the two were disgusted by that. They were like siblings to each other. But with Harry and Draco's mischievous natures and Pansy's hesitant agreeing, the three of them purposely made it look like they were together from time to time, just to piss off the press. It was an ongoing joke between Pansy, Draco, Harry, and Hermione. Everyone seemed to think they were all together. 

Finally, Pansy walked up the large, dark wooden staircase, lined with a regal-looking carpet that was soon to be covered by an elegant royal blue one. Her walk turned into a run as she climbed the stairs and came upon her room, where Hermione Granger was waiting inside with a frown on her face.

"There you are!" She said, looking exasperated. "Pans, I was looking everywhere for you." Hermione sighed. Her arms were crossed and her left foot was tapping quickly, a typical sign of Hermione's annoyance. 

"Sorry, 'Mione... I was checking up on the place. Seeing how everything was coming together. Now can I pleeeeeease do your hair!" Pansy begged with a bright smile. Hermione sighed.

"Fine, but only because it's your birthday and I adore you so much." She huffed. 

Pansy squealed, charming Hermione's normally outrageous curls into elegant milkmaid braids with two curled strands hanging out in the front. Now for the manual part. Pansy had been looking forward to this all day, taking little baby's breath flowers and placing them in the braids. 

"So... I heard something the other day." Pansy spoke as she placed another flower strategically in Hermione's hair.

The chestnut-haired girl perked up a bit. "And what was that?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Ron Weasley likes you." Pansy said with a grin. 

Hermione gasped. "What? No... no he doesn't, no way." She said, raising a brow. She was frowning, but her amber eyes got the best of her. She could be read easily by the look in her eyes, and right now they were saying 'Yes! Perfect! Finally! I'm going to marry Ron Weasley!'

Okay, maybe not that last bit, but for Pansy it might have well been.

"Yeah, he does and by the looks of it... you like him too." Pansy smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. 

Hermione began to turn her head to protest. "Nonononono! Stay still!" Pansy shrieked, nearly pulling a braid apart. Hermione sighed and turned back, crossing her arms with a frown.

"Hermione, this is art. You can't disturb an artist at work." The raven-haired girl said with a sigh, placing more flowers in her friend's locks.

"Well, Miss Parkinson, you can't say something like that and expect me not to be shocked!" Hermione protested.

"Okay, you have a point. But still. I'm almost done." Pansy replied with a shrug, placing one of the final flowers there as she continued to talk.

"Apparently he was talking to Neville Longbottom, who told Hannah Abbot, who told Millicent Bullstrode, who told Daphne Greengrass, who of course, told me." Pansy replied proudly. Of course she was on top of the gossip chain as usual. That was her thing. Fashion and gossip. Hermione? Nah, she stuck to her books and literally anything but those two things.

"Oh great, half of Hogwarts probably knows by now!" Hermione said with an exaggerated groan, nearly banging her head against the table but Pansy grabbing her again and forcing her upright.

"ART. HERMIONE. THIS IS ART." She reminded her, quite stressed, clearly.

From Hermione, a mumbled apology.

From Pansy, "Well..."

Back to Hermione, "Well what?"

Pansy sighed. "Yeah everyone knows. I don't think Draco knows yet, though. I know Harry heard, but I haven't told him and neither has Harry, so unless he heard it from someone I don't know who knows, then he has no idea." 

Hermione sighed. "Great, Pans, that makes it so much better." She replied, groaning again. If there was one thing Hermione couldn't stand, it was being in the middle of drama. Especially when she didn't even know about it in the first place. Ignorance was Hermione's biggest weakness, she strived to know as much as she could, and not knowing things made her feel insecure. One could only imagine how she felt hearing about a rumor that had something to do with her that half of the school found out about before she did- it wasn't good.

"But... you like him back don't you?" Pansy asked just as she was finishing Hermione's hair, stepping back to admire it.

The other girl turned around. "I... yeah, I guess I do." She replied, looking up at her friend, who had a big grin on her face.

"Good, because he's coming tonight."

"He's WHAT?!" Echoed through the halls for a few moments.

-

Meanwhile, a few miles away, two boys were busy doing absolutely nothing. Draco and Harry were both in their tuxes, sitting around Malfoy Manor with nothing but each other's company and the latest drama from Hogwarts. 

Both boys were dressed to the nines, looking more like princes than schoolboys. Harry was wearing a black, velvet tuxedo with a crisp white undershirt and matching black pants. His bowtie was burgundy, providing a dulled down pop of color to the suit.

Draco, meanwhile, looked like he was going to a funeral. He wore a pitch black tuxedo with a matching black undershirt and bowtie. Head to toe, his entire outfit was black, and he looked very put together. 

"So... you heard about Ron Weasley yet?" Harry piped up, looking over at his blonde friend.

Draco was laying upside down on a lavish, dark red crushed velvet chair, reading a book about quidditch. His head was on the floor and he shook his head, not paying much attention. While he was normally the center of drama, he didn't care much for hearing about other people's business, unless his friends were involved.

"Oh, well, he likes Hermione." The dark-haired boy said casually, reading his own book. Harry didn't seem to have a care in the world about this situation, his mind was on other things. More specifically, seeing Pansy later that night at her party. 

Draco dropped the book on his head and immediately fell out of the chair, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. "He WHAT?!"

-

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Of course, he's coming H. I invited him. I figured he liked you a while ago. I mean, I don't care much for him but he's okay, I guess. As long as you're happy." She shrugged nonchalantly, doing her own hair with speed and precision. It was already curled and she was placing it in a messy but elegant half-up half-down hairstyle. 

Hermione was nearly going ballistic, standing up and pacing at this point. "For Circe's sake, Pans, why didn't you tell me?!" She expressed, looking over at her friend who seemed to be doing just fine during this entire situation without a care in the world. 

"Oh, I must've forgotten to." She replied. "Lighten up, Hermione! It's no big deal, it's not like I'm forcing you to marry him or anything. You're looking at me like I killed that dreadful cat of yours." Pansy responded with a light chuckle.

Hermione huffed. "Crookshanks isn't dreadful, he's just misunderstood."

"Yes well, it's a misunderstanding that you don't think he's dreadful." Pansy hit back. "But there are more important things at hand than your kneazle." She finished her hair and stood up, walking over to the wardrobe in her room. It held her favorite pieces, and Pansy pulled out two nearly identical dresses. 

Hermione gasped. "Pansy, those are gorgeous." She said in awe.

"One of them is yours. My mother ordered both of them from Paris, hand stitched by one of the best designers out there." Pansy said proudly, hanging both of them up on two of the displays she always kept around. 

Hermione looked like she'd just discovered the cure for world hunger. "You're kidding, right? One of these is mine?" She gawked.

Pansy smiled. "Of course! I asked for them to be nearly identical because I want you to be by my side tonight." She replied, moving one of the displays over to Hermione. "Here's yours, I really hope you like it." She was a bit bashful at that part.

Hermione was in awe. "Like it? Pansy, I love it. It's beautiful!" She said, staring at the dress in front of her. Both of them were dark navy blue, but Hermione's was embellished in crystals that looked like stars against the night sky. It was off-the-shoulder and floor length, just the way Hermione liked it. She was quite modest when it came to clothes, but she wasn't afraid to go too far out of her comfort zone. It was such an elegant gown, with the main material being an expensive navy silk, Hermione was practically in shock. 

Pansy's dress was nearly the same, but some aspects were different. Hers was the same navy blue, but appeared slightly lighter. Hermione's was designed to look like a night sky. The second dress was also off-the-shoulder with shorter sleeves and lacey flowers all over the top. Going down, the flowers began to fade out and get more and more sparse, fading into a flowy tulle skirt with multiple layers that was, like Hermione's, floor length. There were multiple layers of tulle and a silk slip underneath the sheer tulle. There was a thin ribbon around the upper torso used somewhat like a belt with a bow in the back.

"Merlin, Pans... it's your birthday and you're giving me things?" Hermione joked while putting on the dress, charming it to fit her frame perfectly. 

While doing the same, Pansy smiled. "Oh come on, it's nothing. You know it, too. I love you, Hermione, but your fashion sense needs help." She joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying you're wrong... but I'm not agreeing either." She had a small smirk on her face, one that Pansy wore with more satisfaction. 

-

"Yeah, I thought Pansy told you." Harry responded casually, sitting up as Draco seemed to get pretty tense. He knew Draco was protective of the two girls in their group, but in different ways. Pansy was like a sister to him, so he treated her like one, but Hermione was different. The two of them would fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but he had a soft spot for her. If anything happened to Hermione, Draco was always the first to know and he was always there trying to defend her. 

Of course, Hermione was stubborn and insisted that she didn't need him to be her bodyguard. But to her dismay, Draco was equally as stubborn and told her he still wasn't going anywhere. To anyone who was unfortunate enough to be part of one of their arguments, it was clear that those two had a special connection. When they fought, it was dangerous, but when they talked about their dreams and passions, it was incredible. The two of them could chat for hours about books and topics that others might find boring, but they didn't care. They were two of the smartest people at Hogwarts, usually competing for grades. God forbid someone got in between them and their grades.

"No, Pansy didn't tell me!" Draco said, running a hand through his hair. He'd normally slicked it back but decided to stop doing that after a while, instead opting for a more effortless looking cut that framed his face quite nicely. He kept his white-blonde hair short, unlike his father, and he preferred it that way. 

"Oh, damn... I figured she would. It's been circulating recently." Harry said without the slightest anxiety, chewing on his lip. "Apparently, Ron told Neville Longbottom, who told Hannah Abbott, who told Millicent Bullstrode, but I don't know why she told her because I'm pretty sure they hate each other," Harry went on and on, "but anyways, Millicent told Pansy and basically everyone else except apparently you... and probably Hermione too." He finished, looking over at the blonde.

Draco sighed. "That has to be a joke. Ron Weasley... perhaps one of the biggest idiots at Hogwarts... likes Hermione Granger, the most brilliant of our class? No way, you're just pulling my leg." He said with a dull chuckle. "I mean, really, Harry, Ronald Weasley."

"Well, perhaps you'll just ask him yourself." Harry said with a shrug. 

"What do you mean?" The Malfoy responded, cocking a brow.

"Oh, right, he's gonna be at Pansy's party."

Draco choked on his own breath. "You're joking."

-

Hermione and Pansy were all done up, walking down the hallways as the final touches were being put on the decorations. Everything was pink and navy, two of Pansy's favorite colors, hence her and Hermione's dresses. They looked like teenage royalty, which was just the plan. Hand in hand, the two girls were giggling and talking about Pansy's latest crush, who she wouldn't reveal. Hermione was given clues and had to guess who it was.

"Well, you know them. We have Transfiguration with them and... they're going to be here." Pansy said with a smile.

Hermione was thinking. "Are they a slytherin?" She asked, thinking it would be a lot easier if she had the house figured out.

"Nope!" Pansy replied.

"So... gryffindor then?" Hermione said, cocking a brow. 

The dark-haired girl looked away. "Yeah..." She said with a sheepish smile.

"Hmmm... who do they hang out with?" Hermione asked. The gears in her brain were turning as she tried to find out the object of her best friend's affections.

"Well... s- I mean, they, hang out with Ron Weasley a lot." Pansy said, nearly giving away a key part of the information.

Hermione perked up. "Wait, did you say... she?" 

Pansy stiffened, sucking in a breath. "No... I meant... well..." she became flustered, stuttering and mumbling. After tripping over her words for a bit, Pansy's eyes welled up with tears.

Hermione caught on quickly and grabbed her gently by the shoulders so she was looking into her eyes. "Pansy. Look at me. I don't care if you like girls, it's okay. I'll still love you the same. You're my sister, remember?" She assured her with a gentle, comforting smile.

Pansy burst into tears and wrapped Hermione up into a hug, catching her off guard. However, it was welcomed. "Oh, Hermione... it was so hard to keep secret. I didn't know who to tell or how to tell them and I was so scared you'd judge me..." She sobbed into the brunette's shoulder while Hermione stroked her back. 

"Shhh, it's okay Pans. I always had a feeling you did. Now, let's get back to your room and clean you up before the guests arrive, okay?" Hermione said, holding Pansy's hand again while she dried her tears.

"Just for the record, I like guys too. Guys are hot." Pansy sniffled and both of the girls chuckled together. 

-

Around an hour passed before Narcissa came into the room where both of the boys were lounging and told them it was time go to the Parkinson's house. 

"Finally, we've been sitting around for hours." Draco groaned, getting up and smoothing his shirt down, Harry doing the same.

He nodded in agreement. "I can't wait to see the girls. I heard something about matching dresses." 

"You seem to hear a lot that I don't know about, huh?" Draco said, bitterly. They both knew it was a joke, but Draco still hated being ignorant to what was going on around him, especially when it came to Hermione.

-

Guests were beginning to arrive and both of the girls were in the Parkinson's drawing room, welcoming guests and talking amongst each other. When two fiery-headed children showed up at the door, both girls perked up. Ron and Ginny Weasley had arrived.

Hermione wasn't ecstatic to see Ron at first, it was quite awkward. He had no idea she knew about his crush on her, and she wasn't ready to say that she felt the same, but after a while the two of them were making small talk and chattering about random things.

Ginny and Pansy were talking too, but much more closely than Ron and Hermione. Those two were in their own little world. Whenever Ginny spoke, Pansy seemed to light up, something Hermione had never seen her do before while talking to someone she wasn't really close with. She was truly happy for her. The two of them looked pretty happy, so Hermione was mainly focused on watching them from the sidelines while also making awkward conversation with Ron happen.

"So... what's your favorite class?" Hermione asked the red-headed boy in front of her while he sipped on a drink.

"Oh err... none of 'em." Ron responded honestly. "I'm not exactly the smart one, ya know."

Hermione chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah, I get that. Mine would have to be Arithmancy. I absolutely love it." She began, starting to talk about her favorite parts when Ron cut her off.

"Oh, that's nice. What do you do for fun?" He asked, seemingly pretty bored.

"Study... hang out with Pansy... I read a lot. Do you have a favorite author or book?" Hermione was trying desperately to find something in common with this boy, but nothing was really checking out too well.

"... No, not really." Ron said, shrugging.

Hermione was growing annoyed, to say the least. This was just  _bad_. But leave it to Harry and Draco to save the day.

The doors opened and in walked two dapper looking boys, one with jet black hair and one with silver eyes. Hermione felt immediate relief when Harry walked over to the two of them while Draco stayed back, obviously avoiding her for some reason. Now it was up to Hermione to figure out why.

Harry sauntered over with this big old Harry kind of grin that only he seemed to have and smiled brightly. "Hey, Hermione." He greeted, throwing his arm over her shoulder casually. 

"Harry, hi." She responded, turning into his arm to give him a hug. Ron was bristling. Harry was grinning. Hermione was ignoring both of their competitiveness. 

"Oh, hello, Ronald." Harry added with a toothy smile, releasing Hermione as she pulled away. 

"Potter, how's your night going, eh?" Ron was trying to be casual and cool. It was clear that pureblood parties weren't his cup of tea, but at least he was trying. That's what Hermione was telling herself while looking around the room to try and see where Draco went.

Harry and Ron began talking about Merlin knows what while Hermione walked outside of the drawing room, looking for Draco. He was nowhere to be seen.

Walking down the hallways, her simple black heels clicked against the tile. She went out into the Parkinson's backyard, a lavish garden with a fountain in the middle, only to catch Pansy herself making out with Ginny Weasley. They didn't seem to notice her until she cleared her throat and both girls scrambled about to collect themselves.

"Easy, easy, my lips are sealed!" Hermione assured, sitting down on one of the outdoor seats across from them.

Ginny was wiping a bit of lipstick off of her cheek that had smudged and she sheepishly chuckled. "So um... Hermione... would you mind keeping this a secret?" She asked, swallowing.

Hermione nodded. "Of course. You both know I'm not the gossip hub. That's Pansy's job." She joked with a light-hearted smile. "But seriously, you two should come inside soon. Everyone's looking for the birthday girl." 

Pansy stood up and reached out her hand, which Ginny quickly took, and the two of them walked inside right behind Hermione. They let go just before entering the drawing room, and Hermione could see that they wanted nothing more than to touch again.

-

A few hours passed without conflict. Everyone was enjoying themselves, but still, Draco was nowhere to be seen. Hermione brushed that thought into the back of her mind when Ron asked if she wanted to go into the gardens and talk with him. She agreed and watched as Pansy winked at her, rolling her eyes.

The two of them walked outside before Ron looked down. "I... Hermione, I like you." He admitted.

Hermione chuckled dryly, not trying to ruin the moment. "Yeah, I know, Ronald." She responded.

"You do?! How?" The red-haired boy asked, eyes wide.

"Half the school knows by now." She said with a shrug.

"Wow, I guess that ruined the surpr-" He began before he was cut off by her lips pressing against his. It wasn't her first kiss, but it was his. Time seemed to stand still for a few moments.

That was, until Draco walked out the door just to see the two of them standing there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione's hair: https://ath.unileverservices.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/06/getupandpinup-floral-milkmaidbraid.jpg  
> Hermione's dress: https://www.jovani.com/image/cache/catalog/products/evening_dresses_50/25607_1-660x990.jpg  
> Pansy's hair: https://www.elegantweddinginvites.com/wedding-blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/elegant-half-up-and-half-down-wedding-hairstyle-for-long-hair.jpg  
> Pansy's dress: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1494/1426/products/BGL1516_NAVY_1O_grande.jpeg?v=1528253725
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> xoxo,  
> arizonasnow

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Bye for now!
> 
> xoxo,  
> arizonasnow


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